Monday, April 5, 2010

This is one of my favorite spots in Santa Monica. Tapas to the left of us, sushi to the right, and Ye Olde King's Head pub up ahead — all in all, a great place to chill out with a "real" (i.e. Imperial) pint of Boddington's and watch the tourists go by. But there's a slight annoyance: buses. They run right in front of the outdoor seating area, meaning diners get a little diesel with their fish + chips. Passenger cars, annoyed with pesky, pokey public transport, honk + rev away with angry flatulence. This automania almost threatens to ruin the experience; it's hard to fall into the completely deep relaxation found, say, at the nearby car-free 3rd Street Promenade. Narrowed, this terminus of the mighty Santa Monica Blvd. becomes a calm back alley. I left in the "buses only" asphalt paint for fun, because I like to imagine an optimistic near-future in which our current carbon-spewing peoplemovers are replaced by silent gliding electric vehicles. See it narrowed!High quality prints available

explore the map

ocean avenue + santa monica boulevard (II), santa monica

This is one of my favorite spots in Santa Monica. Tapas to the left of us, sushi to the right, and Ye Olde King's Head pub up ahead — all in all, a great place to chill out with a "real" (i.e. Imperial) pint of Boddington's and watch the tourists go by. But there's a slight annoyance: buses. They run right in front of the outdoor seating area, meaning diners get a little diesel with their fish + chips. Passenger cars, annoyed with pesky, pokey public transport, honk + rev away with angry flatulence. This automania almost threatens to ruin the experience; it's hard to fall into the completely deep relaxation found, say, at the nearby car-free 3rd Street Promenade. Narrowed, this terminus of the mighty Santa Monica Blvd. becomes a calm back alley. I left in the "buses only" asphalt paint for fun, because I like to imagine an optimistic near-future in which our current carbon-spewing peoplemovers are replaced by silent gliding electric vehicles. See it narrowed!High quality prints available